Summer Safety a Hot Topic in Pediatric Injury Prevention

July 2, 2013

With summer now in full swing, the unique summer safety needs of children and adolescents are a prevalent topic in the media. As kids spend more time outdoors during their time off from school, we’re seeing greater emphasis on health issues like sun and swim safety in the news, advertising, and social media. Even topics like teen driver safety that receive attention throughout the year have a bit more emphasis in the summer – particularly as research shows the 10 deadliest days for teen drivers occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Since many safety organizations are sharing great information and resources via traditional and social media, below is a snapshot of some recent summer safety tips to consider and share.

On June 20th, CIRP@CHOP (@safetymd) participated as an invited expert in a Twitter Chat on adolescent summer safety hosted by the Office for Adolescent Health under the hashtag #TeenSummer. Great resources, tips, and stats were shared between participating organizations and individuals who care about teens’ health. Here are a few highlights:

Parents Magazine online recently revisited a print article on motor vehicle-related injuries to children that have nothing to do with crashes. Topics such as back-overs, power windows, and pediatric heat stroke are discussed, with commentary provided by safety experts, including CIRP@CHOP’s Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE. You can view the full article here.

Pediatric hyperthermia, or heat stroke, is a topic that’s unfortunately gaining national attention as the leading cause of non-crash vehicular death for young children. Children left behind in motor vehicles, whether intentionally while a parent runs a quick errand or unintentionally due to a change in routine, are susceptible to heat stroke since their bodies heat up 5 times faster than adults’. Heat stroke happens quickly and can occur even when outside temperatures are as low as 57 degrees. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as of May 28th there had already been four heat stroke-related child deaths in 2013, despite increased public awareness of the issue. Learn more about pediatric heat stroke and simple prevention strategies on CHOP’s Car Seat Safety for Kids website.